You would be hard pressed to find an OLED TV in any brick and mortar retailer besides the Sony Store right now. The technology is amazing, but they just aren’t available yet and that might not change soon according to a iSuppli report. The TVs are too small and the prices are too high to gain any real traction. But, as we all know, that will change as the display tech evolves. However, don’t expect to see a wall full of OLED because the LCD market isn’t slowing down.
However, even with this growth, unit shipments of OLED TV panels will amount to just 850,000 units in 2013 and only 4.7 million units in 2015, up from 25,000 in 2009. This represents a tiny number of shipments compared to the LCD TV panel market, which is set to reach 232.6 million units in 2013.
What we will likely see is similar to the CRT projection TV market growth compared to plasma TVs from earlier in this decade. Stores will carry a few OLED TVs to draw people in like they did with plasma TVs. But once the average Joe sees the price and size compared to an LCD, they will likely opt for the cheaper option and larger option.
As long as OLED continues to mature and carve out a market, it might eventually become the dominate display option. Unless, of course, something new and sexier doesn’t come to market first. Or 3D display take off. *shudder*
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